Neco 2023 Agricultural Science Question 2

Practice essay / theory question 2 from the 2023 Neco Agricultural Science examination. This question covers Soil Science .

Neco 2023 Agricultural Science Essay / Theory
Topic: Soil Science
Question 2 NECO • 2023 • AGRICULTURAL_SCIENCE • essay

A soil scientist sets up a laboratory experiment to determine the infiltration rate of a loamy soil sample. The apparatus consists of a 30 cm high transparent column (inner diameter 10 cm) filled with the soil, a funnel delivering water at a constant rate of 5 mL per minute, and a graduated cylinder collecting the percolated water. The following observations were recorded: - After 10 minutes, 48 mL of water had been collected. - After 20 minutes, 95 mL of water had been collected. The bulk density of the soil is 1.4 g cm⁻³ and its field capacity is 0.35 cm³ cm⁻³. Answer the following:

Question Parts

( a )
Calculate the average infiltration rate (in mL min⁻¹) for the first 10‑minute interval and for the second 10‑minute interval. Comment on any change observed.
( b )
Using the column dimensions, estimate the amount of water (in grams) retained in the column when the soil is at field capacity.
( c )
Discuss two factors that could cause the infiltration rate observed in the laboratory to differ from the rate that would occur under field conditions.

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About This Question

This is Neco 2023 Agricultural Science Question 2. It is one of the essay questions from the 2023 Neco Agricultural Science examination.

The question covers Soil Science .

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